Is the end of the space shuttle program a victory for Satan?

[xoggoth]

We haven't had an argument about religion for a while, so here's a thought. Maybe if there is a creator he is interested in our progress as a species, not in us as individuals.

There is no sound evidence whatever that god is concerned about us as individuals. People cite scripture but when you look at sacred texts they are a confusing mass of contradictions and the ones we know today have often survived others only because they suited a political purpose. Any god truly interested in our personal salvation would have ensured the message was a bit clearer.

On the other hand, we could argue he is interested in our species because every natural quality we have, those he presumably gave us, is geared to our survival and dominance over other species. The "awful" things men do are entirely in keeping with what we observe in other social animals like chimps, meerkats or lions. Maybe paradise is the prize for winning in a team sport. We are competing against sentient beings from other worlds to see which makes the most progress in dominating the universe.

By spending on what many think of as more worthy things instead of the space program have we just dropped the baton?

[sasguru]

If we are competing with sentient beings on other planets, we are doomed, weighed down as we are by the presence of boneheads like SB, DP, BB, Pooperscooter et. al.

[xoggoth]

How do you know they are not from oher planets?

[sasguru]

How do you know they are not from oher planets?

True. Perhaps a planet where logic doesn't apply.

[Jog On]

I've been reading a bit about spirituality lately (not religion), particularly the Eastern variety (Buddhism/Zen, Hinduism).

They all seem to come to the same conclusions as do the original messages in the established religions that 'salvation' (enlightenment) is found internally and our challenge is to attain it in this life. Whether one chooses to follow any established religion or not this aspect of it I find quite interesting. Religion over the years has been heavily abused for all the wrong reasons.

This is quite an interesting read:

What Is Your Consciousness Level?

[Jog On]

How do you know they are not from oher planets?

Dimensions even?

[TimberWolf]

The Space Shuttle programme was a waste of money. It was an expensive way of achieving low Earth orbit when the Moon should have been the goal anyway. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Perhaps now NASA can concentrate on moving to metric and other lofty goals.

[shaunbhoy]

If we are competing with sentient beings on other planets, we are doomed, weighed down as we are by the presence of boneheads like SB, DP, BB, Pooperscooter et. al.

We are certainly not weighed down by anything you bring to the table though sas. That empty head of yours weighs nothing, and if personality was measured in kilograms, you wouldn't have enough to act as a paperweight for a field mouse.

[Churchill]

The Space Shuttle programme was a waste of money. It was an expensive way of achieving low Earth orbit when the Moon should have been the goal anyway. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Perhaps now NASA can concentrate on moving to metric and other lofty goals.

Ariane 5 wasn't without a couple of teething problems in the old metric/imperial conversion arena...

[MarillionFan]

The Space Shuttle programme was a waste of money. It was an expensive way of achieving low Earth orbit when the Moon should have been the goal anyway. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Perhaps now NASA can concentrate on moving to metric and other lofty goals.

Money is such a tasteless foolish way of measuring success.

To be honest I don't think we've even been to the
moon. We went in 1969 and haven't been again for almost 40 years. Yeah right.